How to get rid of spring allergy symptoms

Shannon Wiedener doesn't have to watch weather reports to be warned of high pollen counts. With most of her family suffering from seasonal allergies, the 37-year-old mom, who lives in Burlington, Ont., says their bodies are allergy barometers. "Humid days are bad, as well as windy ones during pollination season," she says.

While Shannon's husband, Mark, receives shots for his grass allergy, she relies on over-the-counter medications to soothe her sinus pain and itchy eyes. Meanwhile, her eight-year-old son, Keegan, swallows a daily dose of Aerius to manage his nosebleeds and itchy, swollen eyes, while younger brother Ty, 5, takes over-the-counter medications when he really needs them for his runny nose and irritated eyes. Ty also uses a puffer for his asthma, which is aggravated by his allergies.

Where can you start looking for allergy relief? And is all this runny nose and itchy eye business preventable? We took these queries – and more – to health professionals across Canada to answer your questions about seasonal allergies.

What are common allergy triggers?The main indoor allergens in Canada are dust mites, pets and some types of mould, while the common outdoor allergens are pollen, ragweed, grass, trees and mould, says Dr. Harold Kim, an allergist in Kitchener, Ont., and an assistant professor of immunology and allergy at McMaster University in Hamilton. Many moulds grow under field grasses and release spores into the air. They're in high counts throughout the spring, summer and fall. In early spring, the first allergens to hit the air are from trees blossoming. Grass triggers symptoms in late spring and early summer, and ragweed is a big problem from mid-August until the first frost.

What makes my eyes itch and nose run?Histamine is a chemical in everyone's body, but when you have allergies, your body produces extra, says Kim. This causes symptoms such as congestion, sneezing, a runny nose and itchy, watery eyes.

Can my allergies come back even worse every year?"We don't know why people are more allergic at certain times in their lives," says Kim. Though once you've developed allergic rhinitis – more often known as hay fever – you may have symptoms for years if you don't treat your allergies. It's believed that, over time, your immune system may become tolerant to allergens, so your symptoms lessen. But it also depends on the person; many women say their allergies worsened or started during or after pregnancy. The role of hormones is still being investigated, says Kim. Gender also comes into play. Boys are more likely to have allergic asthma before puberty; girls, after puberty.

Did my six-year-old inherit his allergies from me?Genetics are involved. If you have allergies but your husband doesn't, your kids have about a 30 per cent chance of developing allergies during their lifetimes. If both parents have allergies, there's a 60 to 80 per cent chance that your children will develop them.

Kim adds that, genetics aside, doctors have seen an increase in most allergic conditions over the past few decades. And research shows that higher levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can lead to a boost in pollen production, making allergies more severe.

What new medicaions are available to treat my symptoms?"While there’s nothing really revolutionary, we've recently seen more use of nasal saline – a combination of sodium chloride and distilled water – for allergic rhinitis," says George Murray, a pharmacist in Sackville, N.B., and past president of the Canadian Pharmacists Association."It's an effective way of cleansing the tissues. We've also seen less use of traditional decongestants and antihistamines, especially in children." (In 2008, Health Canada recommended that children under six years not be given over-the-counter cough and cold medicine, since it had little effect and kids were sometimes being given too much.)

Murray adds that a few years ago nondrowsy antihistamines were a breakthrough. You can take these medications and not be impaired when carrying out your daily activities. In any case, it's always best to talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you or your children start any medication.

Page 2 of 5 - Learn what to look for in different antihistamines on page 3

What's the difference between the varouis antihistamines?Traditional antihistamines – such as Benadryl, Chlor-Tripolon and Dimetapp – dry up secretions, relieving your runny nose and itchy eyes, says Murray. But they also cause drowsiness.

For long-term treatment, over-the-counter medications such as Claritin and Aerius are better, Murray says. They block the receptors throughout your body, so when an allergen comes into your body, you don't have a reaction. If you know you're going to have some allergy issues, says Murray, start taking a blocker a week or two before the season starts, to make sure your allergy symptoms don't "turn on." Should I take a combined antihistamine and decongestant?It's better to treat a single symptom, because you may end up taking something you don't need, says Murray. Say you're hit with hay fever and you start using a combination medication; the decongestant takes away some congestion, but after a few days your congestion will be gone, so you shouldn't use a decongestant anymore. If you keep taking the combination medication, you're taking a drug that you don't need, says Murray, and that could increase your heart rate and blood pressure or affect your thyroid function.

What else can I do to alleviate my child's runny nose?"We've really been promoting saline use for children," says Murray. The saline helps flush allergens and mucus out. But if your child has severe symptoms, says Murray, she may need to take a blocker. Talk to your pharmacist or an allergist.

You can also give her honey that's made locally if she is over two years old, says James Christian, a medical herbalist in Victoria. The idea behind this remedy is that bees collect pollen in the area, and by introducing it in local honey or bee pollen, it helps her body decrease its immune response when she breathes in the pollen.

Page 3 of 5 - Read about precsription medicine that can help with your allergies on page 4

Are there prescription medications that can help with my symptoms?If you're having moderate or severe symptoms, you can try a steroid nasal spray. Occasionally, if a patient has terrible symptoms and isn't responding to other medications, short courses of oral steroids can be used, says Kim. They're effective, but there are significant side-effects if they're used over a long period of time (such as increased blood pressure and blood sugar levels). "We do have some patients with asthma who are on daily oral steroids such as prednisone, but we try to avoid prescribing them," adds Kim. It's safer to use inhaled steroids, and they usually control the symptoms.

Another family of medications to try – especially if antihistamines aren't working – are the leukotriene receptor antagonist medications, such as Singulair. They work for hay fever and eye symptoms, but you have to be 18 or older for a doctor to prescribe them for allergy treatment. Instead of blocking histamine, these medications block leukotriene, the molecule in your body that's causing the symptoms.

"For itchy eyes, prescription eye drops are excellent," adds Kim. "My favourites are Patanol and Zaditor. I wouldn't recommend buying eye drops off the shelf. Some just constrict the blood vessels and can lead to more problems in the long term.'

What medication side-effects do I need to know about?Inhaled steroids sometimes create a little irritation (such as a slight sting in your nose or sinuses) or a funny taste in your mouth, says Murray. And you can develop a fungal infection called thrush in your mouth if you don't rinse properly after inhaling. Nasal and topical decongestants, such as Otrivin, are OK to use for up to five days. They constrict the blood vessels in your nose and can cause rebound congestion if you use them for longer than that.

Nondrowsy antihistamines are safe, adds Murray, but if you have a chronic medical condition, talk to your pharmacist or family doctor, or an allergist about the pros and cons of taking them, says Kim. "Generally we try not to use oral decongestants because of the stimulant side-effect," adds Kim. "They can also react with other medications, such as asthma and cold medications."

Page 4 of 5 - Learn how herbal remedies can help with your allergy symptoms on page 5

How do I know if I need allergy shots?If you don't want to take drugs on an ongoing basis, or your symptoms are persisting while you're taking medications, consider allergy shots.

"We first identify what patients are allergic to and then we give them injections of it, starting with very low doses," says Kim. "We build up the doses gradually until we get up to maintenance doses. So within six to 12 months, your body becomes tolerant of the shots."

Generally, allergy shots are given to kids who are six and older. But there are exceptions. If a child or adult has a significant medical condition, such as heart disease or cancer, shots aren't a good idea, says Kim. "And we don't recommend shots for patients on some medications, especially beta-blockers [drugs used for hypertension, heart disease, migraine headaches and tremors]." As well, doctors won't start you on shots if you're pregnant. But if you're on a maintenance dose and become pregnant, you can continue the shots.Will surgery treat my allergies?Turbinate surgery is an option, but patients rarely have to go that route. This surgery enlarges the space in your nose by removing or decreasing the size of the turbinates (the bones in your nose). "If the symptoms are significant enough and we're not improving them with medical therapies," says Kim, "then we refer the patient to an ear, nose and throat surgeon to be considered for surgery."

What herbs could I take to treat my symptons?It's best to consult with an alternative health practitioner, such as a medical herbalist or naturopath, to understand why you are suffering from allergies before you try natural products, says Christian. "That said, herbs such as stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) and ginkgo biloba can help prevent an allergic response," he adds. Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) and eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) have the ability to heal mucous membranes and prevent them from making too much mucus. You could also try a tea of eyebright or a tincture of goldenseal, says Christian, or talk to a herbalist for a product and dose recommendation.Are herbal remedies safe for my child?Yes – with the help of a herbalist, naturopath or pharmacist at a herbal pharmacy. Talk to one of these individuals about adjusting the dosage depending on the age of your child and the recommended form of remedy. Herbalists usually use capsules, tinctures or teas. Tinctures can have a strong taste and contain alcohol, so they're not necessarily the desired option for children. "We've blended dried herbs to make a tea, then you mix the tea with fruit juice to make into frozen treats," says Christian. "If you give kids two or three a day, they're getting a certain amount of the medicinal value of the plant."

Sleep

9 easy ways to get more—and better!—sleep

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Arianna Huffington says the key to health, happiness, success and even economic prosperity is simple: everyone needs to sleep more. Sounds great, but how do we actually make it happen? Here are her best tips.

Self-described "sleep evangelist" Arianna Huffington comes by her obsession with rest honestly: in April 2007, after an exhausting trip spent touring prospective colleges with her daughter, Christina, during the day and frantically catching up on emails at night, she collapsed in her office. When she woke up hours later, she had a broken cheekbone and no idea what was wrong with her. After trekking from doctor to doctor trying to find out, the answer was both reassuring (she wasn't suffering from a scary disease) and not (she was burnt out, sleep deprived—essentially, making herself ill). Unsurprisingly, she quickly began taking sleep seriously. So seriously, in fact, that she threw herself into research—which turned into a book, The Sleep Revolution, released earlier this year—and started telling everyone what she learned. (We weren't joking about the "sleep evangelist" thing.) We chatted with Huffington about why women should carve out time for rest, how to get high-quality sleep and what to do when you fall back into old habits. Here's what she said.

1. Forget work-life balance. There's no such thing, according to Huffington. "Realistically, life is never balanced; we have a sick toddler one night, a big deadline the other night. For me, it's all about work-life integration, and bringing joy as well as productivity to everything we do," she says. "And I feel women need to realize that what they tell us on airplanes is the truth: put your own oxygen mask on first." Meaning: you can't take care of anyone else if you don't take care of yourself, first.

2. Do less binge-watching. Huffington doesn't buy the idea that there just aren't enough hours in the day to work, parent, exercise, socialize and sleep, too. "We all have more discretionary time than we acknowledge," she says. "You know, somebody's watching House of Cards [right now]. I've only seen one episode. I love the show; I would love to see the rest of it. But you know what? If something has to give, it's going to be House of Cards."

3. Ditch the tech. Speaking of binge-watching… You've probably heard this before, but chances are you didn't listen, so it bears repeating: ban devices from your bedroom. "Before I go to sleep, I power down all my devices and gently escort them out of my bedroom," Huffington says. "Once I get into bed, I only read physical books. And always books that have nothing to do with work—poetry, novels. I don't read anything on-screen, and I never watch TV just before I'm going to sleep."

4. Develop a bedtime routine. "The most important thing is to have a transition to sleep," Huffington says. "I think the biggest mistake we make in modern life is we have no transition. We can be on our smartphones, answering emails, texting until the last moment, and then turn off the light and go to sleep. That doesn't work." Huffington's ritual starts 30 minutes before she wants to go to sleep. That's when she powers down her phone, tablet and laptop, turns off all the lights and has a hot bath. If 30 minutes feels like too much time, start with five minutes, she advises.

5. Be consistent—even when you're travelling. Whether you're going out of town for work or play, it's important to keep up your bedtime routine. To make it easier, Huffington always packs an eye mask, noise-cancelling headphones, a candle (to give the space a homey vibe) and masking tape (to cover up all those annoying blinking lights). "You have to get organized," she says. "But once you do, and you realize what a benefit it brings you, it's not difficult. It only takes five minutes to cover the lights and put the temperature down; it's not like these things are time consuming."

6. Buy new PJs. Huffington says whatever you wear to bed should only be worn to bed. "After my bath, I get in my nice PJs. But it could even be a special t-shirt, as long as it's something I only wear to sleep," she says. "I used to sleep in my gym clothes, but that sends your brain confusing, conflicting messages: are we going to the gym or are lying down?"

7. Say no sometimes. We're all busy, but Huffington says it's important not to give into the temptation to over-schedule. "I so dislike the person I become when I'm sleep deprived: more irritable, more reactive, less and less present with less joy in my life," she says. But acknowledging the consequences of skimping on sleep makes it easier for her to prioritize. Take, for example, a recent evening when she unexpectedly ran into close friends: "I would have loved to go to dinner with them, but I had a very early start this morning, so I didn't. And when I say that to you, you may think it sounds like a sacrifice, but it doesn't to me anymore."

8. Don't worry about falling off the sleep bandwagon. Everyone slips up sometimes, even Huffington. "I'm a work in progress. But you know, I don't think anyone, even somebody who talks about this as much as I do, would do this perfectly. For me, the most important thing is to course correct quickly."

9. Have a plan of attack for insomnia.The Sleep Revolution has an entire chapter devoted to sleep best practices: make sure your room is dark and cool, get enough physical activity, don't drink coffee or alcohol too close to bedtime… but even the most dedicated sleeper will sometimes have a sleepless night. Instead of getting stressed about it, though, Huffington's advice is to meditate. In the book, she writes, "Since we find it harder and harder to retreat into ourselves in the middle of our busy days, the retreat in the middle of the night—whether through sleep or meditation—can be reframed as a precious luxury. This certainly didn't come easily to me. But I was able to train myself to see the time spent meditating in the middle of the night as productive and enriching instead of lying awake in bed resenting the fact that I was wasting my time lying awake in bed."

Spent the night tossing and turning? Here's how to recover from a bad sleep.

Have you ever flirted with the idea of trying a daring style but weren't quite sure how to pull it off? We found six women who were intrigued by a trend they usually avoid, then we gave them the support and style advice to help them make it their own. Here, Canadian Living's web editor, Jenny Tang, forgets her upper arm self-consciousness and ditches sleeves.

"The thought of showing off my arms, unless I'm running or at the gym, absolutely terrifies me," says Jenny. Her fitness game is strong, and she's got the lean, tones limbs to prove it; but, despite all that, Jenny, like many other women, feels self-conscious about exposing her arms.

Regardless of your shape or size, sleeveless tops and dresses require excellent fit. If they're too big, armholes can reveal undergarments; if they're too tight, they look awkward and uncomfortable. For Jenny, we picked a neoprene-like dress with a high neckline. We added structure, and a little more coverage, by topping it with a sleeveless vest dappled with brooches which add interest—and keep the focus away from the upper arms.

Pattern Notes: Twisted rib stitch (worked over an even number of stitches): Row 1 and Row 2: *K1 tbl, p1 tbl* repeat to end of row. Repeat Rows 1 and 2.

Casting on: The Honey Stitch Cowl is cast on using the provisional cast on, which leaves the cast-on stitches "live." Because they're "live" and not closed off as with a regular cast on, we can later pick them up and seam them together with the stitches on the needle. There are several ways to work the provisional cast on. My favourite method involves using a crochet hook and a scrap piece of yarn to make a crochet chain. The cast on stitches are then knitted directly onto the crochet chain, which acts as a holder for the cast on stitches. Once you've finished your cowl you can unravel the crochet chain, which reveals the "live" cast on stitches. These are then picked up on a needle and seamed together with the other stitches on your needle using the three-needle bind off.

Three-needle Bind Off: This bind off joins two sets of "live" stitches together in a neat, secure seam. As the name suggests, it requires three needles: one needle holds the cast on stitches, the other holds the stitches at the end of the cowl, and the third needle is used to knit the stitches on both needles in order to bind them off into a seam.

• With the two needles clapped together and the right sides of the cowl facing each other, insert the third needle into the first stitch on the needle closest to you as if to knit. Insert the third needle into the first stitch on the needle in the back. There are now two stitches on the third needle. Bring the working yarn around the third needle as if to knit and bring the yarn through both stitches on both needles. * There is now one stitch on the third needle. â€¨â€¨Repeat the instructions between * and * until you have two stitches on the needle. Then, using your fingers or one of the needles holding the stitches, bring the first stitch on the third needle over the second stitch. One stitch has been bound off. â€¨â€¨Continue to knit one stitch through two stitches on your needles and bind off on the third needle until you have one stitch left on your third needle. Cut the yarn and weave through the last stitch. Notice that you have created a nice, sturdy seam that joins your cast on stitches with the last stitches on your cowl.

Row 2 (right side): Sl1 knitwise, *p1 tbl, k1 tbl* repeat until you reach 1 st before the first marker, p1 tbl, sm. *Slip 1 st to DPN and hold in back, k1, k the st from the DPN. Slip next st to DPN and hold in front, k1, k the st from DPN* repeat until you reach the second marker, sm. *P1 tbl, k1 tbl* repeat to end of row.

Row 3 (wrong side): repeat Row 1.

Row 4: (right side): Sl1, *p1 tbl, k1 tbl* repeat until you reach 1 st before the first marker, p1 tbl, sm. *Slip 1 st to DPN and hold in front, k1, k the st from DPN. Slip next st to DPN and hold in back, k1, k the st from DPN* repeat until you reach the second marker, sm. *P1 tbl, k1 tbl* repeat to end of row.

Note about yarns: Unfortunately, KPC Yarn is only available online. It's stocked in a retail store in Hong Kong. However, there are a number of other yarn options for Canadians; look for a chunky weight yarn. Berroco Vintage Chunky and Debbie Bliss Rialto Chunky are very similar to the KPC chunky in gauge. Alternatively, consult your local yarn store.

Davina Choy reluctantly picked up knitting at 14, under the instruction of a family friend. Learn how an afternoon of knitting turned into a lifelong passion for Choy.